It is no
great advance when religion is put at the service of business or
industry, but it is telling that even secular experts are recognising
the human benefits of religious faith.
It confirms what reason tells us, that having God central in our lives is the most rational thing we can do, and when God is where he should be, everything else in life falls into place.
The latest expert to venture into this field is a senior UK psychologist who has advised employers that they stand to gain by making room at work, as far as possible, for the religious beliefs of their employees.
Her research shows that workers who are “actively religious” have a “buffer” against work stress.
As a result, they are more likely to report low levels of anxiety, depression and fatigue in their lives, resulting in fewer days missed from work.
They are also more likely than the unreligious to report that they feel their lives have meaning, one of the principal sources of human happiness.
Dr Roxane Gervais a senior psychologist at the Health & Safety Laboratory in Stockport, England, surveyed a group of employees to discover how content they were with their working lives.
She found that workers who take part regularly in religious services feel connected to a greater being than themselves, and feel a greater sense of their own dignity.
“As the pace of work and life accelerates, people long for meaning, and the younger generation in particular is looking for more than just a big pay cheque at the end of the month,” she told The Telegraph.
She continued: “My research shows that religiosity in the workplace may act as a resource, making people more resilient to cope with the many challenges of working life.
“Such personal beliefs could be very helpful not only for employees, but also for employers providing people with a buffer zone.
“We should hence encourage employers to accommodate, where possible, employees’ religious beliefs while at work, and to not shy away from the issue.”
Gervais also found that those who regularly practised religion were more likely to have healthier lifestyles and took fewer sick days.
“Religiosity,” she said, “seemed to assist individuals in gaining better well-being and using more appropriate coping mechanisms.”
Dr Gervais presented her findings at the annual conference of a division of the British Psychological Society, held last month in Brighton.
They add to the weight of evidence provided by previous studies, that companies which accommodate workers beliefs benefit from improved morale, staff retention and loyalty.
A recent study from Columbia University, for example, found some evidence that being religious may lead to changes in the brain’s cortex which reduce the risk of depression.
Much of the research suggests, moreover, that everything else being equal, people of faith make more reliable workers. But what researcher would be willing to say that?
It confirms what reason tells us, that having God central in our lives is the most rational thing we can do, and when God is where he should be, everything else in life falls into place.
The latest expert to venture into this field is a senior UK psychologist who has advised employers that they stand to gain by making room at work, as far as possible, for the religious beliefs of their employees.
Her research shows that workers who are “actively religious” have a “buffer” against work stress.
As a result, they are more likely to report low levels of anxiety, depression and fatigue in their lives, resulting in fewer days missed from work.
They are also more likely than the unreligious to report that they feel their lives have meaning, one of the principal sources of human happiness.
Dr Roxane Gervais a senior psychologist at the Health & Safety Laboratory in Stockport, England, surveyed a group of employees to discover how content they were with their working lives.
She found that workers who take part regularly in religious services feel connected to a greater being than themselves, and feel a greater sense of their own dignity.
“As the pace of work and life accelerates, people long for meaning, and the younger generation in particular is looking for more than just a big pay cheque at the end of the month,” she told The Telegraph.
She continued: “My research shows that religiosity in the workplace may act as a resource, making people more resilient to cope with the many challenges of working life.
“Such personal beliefs could be very helpful not only for employees, but also for employers providing people with a buffer zone.
“We should hence encourage employers to accommodate, where possible, employees’ religious beliefs while at work, and to not shy away from the issue.”
Gervais also found that those who regularly practised religion were more likely to have healthier lifestyles and took fewer sick days.
“Religiosity,” she said, “seemed to assist individuals in gaining better well-being and using more appropriate coping mechanisms.”
Dr Gervais presented her findings at the annual conference of a division of the British Psychological Society, held last month in Brighton.
They add to the weight of evidence provided by previous studies, that companies which accommodate workers beliefs benefit from improved morale, staff retention and loyalty.
A recent study from Columbia University, for example, found some evidence that being religious may lead to changes in the brain’s cortex which reduce the risk of depression.
Much of the research suggests, moreover, that everything else being equal, people of faith make more reliable workers. But what researcher would be willing to say that?